Joe Mazzulla gives eye-opening review to Celtics trade addition after Game 1 rout
With Neemias Queta dealing with foul trouble, Nikola Vucevic got thrown into a bigger role for Game 1 against the Sixers.
It did not take long for Nikola Vucevic to make his Celtics playoff debut in Game 1 against the 76ers on Sunday. Starting center Neemias Queta picked up two fouls just three minutes into the first quarter, leading to Vucevic getting the call as the first reserve to enter the game for Joe Mazzulla at TD Garden. The midseason addition had only played four games in the past month since returning from a broken finger suffered on March 6 against the Mavericks.
Mazzulla made clear with his rotation choices in the final week of the regular season that Vucevic would be the primary option at backup center behind Queta once the postseason rolls around. The big man was put to the test on Sunday right away and held his own for the hosts out of the gate. The Celtics outscored the Sixers by 12 points in the final eight minutes of the first quarter with Vucevic on the floor, helping Boston build a double-digit lead they never relinquished.
Vucevic finished with a pedestrian box score line of three points, six rebounds and three assists while battling foul trouble in 17 minutes during Boston’s blowout win. However, he got a strong stamp of approval from Mazzulla after the 123-91 win. BETTING: Celtics -13.
5 point spread is sitting at -110 over on FanDuel for Tuesday night’s Game 2 showdown against Philadelphia. Our comprehensive FanDuel Sportsbook review provides a full guide on how to navigate through their site. “We’re not asking him to score, we’re asking him to play basketball,” Mazzulla said.